A Preliminary Study On The Archaeology Remains Of The Zhou Dynasty In The Southeastern Of Hubei Province And Northwestern Of Jiangxi Province

Selecting the culture of Zhou dynasty in the southeastern Hubei province and northwestern Jiangxi province as research object, the dissertation initially sets up the chronological sequence of remains of Zhou dynasty in the local area by having a chronological study on the sites of Western Zhou Dynasty and Eastern Zhou Dynasty which either have been scientifically unearthed and published or is rich in survey data. By analyzing the groups of pottery, the dissertation has clarified the cultural elements of remains of Zhou dynasty in the southeastern Hubei province and Jiangxi province and confirmed the cultural attributes of remains of Zhou dynasty and ebb and flow of the different cultural elements in the local area. In order to have a full understanding of the developmental level of Zhou’s culture in the Hubei province and northwestern Jiangxi province, the dissertation brings in settlement analysis and technical analysis (copper) which can reflect the cultural development so as to have a much better understanding of Zhou’s culture in the southeastern Hubei province and northwestern Jiangxi province. Finally, the dissertation also has a study on the ethnic group of remains of Zhou dynasty in the local area.The dissertation can be divided into the following chapters:The first chapter deals with the introduction which mainly concerns about the demarcation of time scope, research object, research methodology, and a brief literature review of available archaeological data.The second chapter centers on the chronological study of the major sites. Based on stratigraphy, the research makes a comparison of pottery’s external forms in surrounding areas and central districts of Zhou’s culture and makes a chronological list of pottery excavated from fifteen sites which either have been scientifically unearthed and published or are rich in survey data. Based on the following research, the remaining sites can be divided into five periods (seven stages) which are early period of West Zhou dynasty, middle period of West Zhou dynasty, later period of West Zhou dynasty, early period of Spring and Autumn, and middle period of Spring and Autumn. In addition, early period of West Zhou dynasty can also be further divided into early stage (about the end of Shang dynasty and the beginning of Zhou dynasty) and later stage. Meanwhile, later period of West Zhou dynasty and early period of West Zhou dynasty can be divided into three stages and the middle period refers to time period between Western Zhou Dynasty and Eastern Zhou Dynasty.The third chapter is about analysis of cultural factors. According to the analysis of pottery groups, Zhou’s culture consists of Shang cultural factors, Zhou cultural factors, indigenous cultural factors, Zhou’s cultural variants, Wucheng cultural factors and Wu cultural factors. Meanwhile, Zhou’s culture is also subject to the influences of early Chu culture and indigenous culture in the area betweenYangtze River and Huaihe. Additionally, indigenous culture which is represented by typical potteries like Groove Tripod and Rectangle Carving Hole and Tripod Bowel with Ears-like Handle has been the mainstay of the Zhou’s culture in the area, while influences exerted by other cultures on local area are on the declining along with time and other cultural factors extinct during the time between Western Zhou Dynasty and Eastern Zhou Dynasty.The fourth chapter concentrates on the study of settlement archaeology. In the first place, by having an analysis of settlement selection types, the chapter clarifies the proportion taken up by the similar sites in the local area which reflects the adaptation and reformation of the human being having impinged on the ecological environment. Secondly, based on the analysis of overall layout of the settlement, the research divides the sites into four settlements and analyzes the scale and level of the settlements which reflect its social structure. Meanwhile, it introduces the building types in the local area and also has a rough research on its temporal environment and social problems.The fifth chapter refers to relative researches about copper. Southwestern Hubei province and Northwestern Jiangxi province is rich in copper from which a lot of remains concerned about mining and metallurgy of copper have been unearthed in the Zhou’s sites. This chapter elaborates the technical level of mining and metallurgy of copper from mining technology and metallurgy technology, and counts and analyzes the distribution of the mining and metallurgy of copper sites. What’s more, it also investigates the properties of Wu lijie.The sixth chapter is concerned about ethnic group study which bears close relation with years and local position and reputation. Generally, academic circles regard the southern part of Yangtze River encompassing southwestern Hubei province and Northwestern Jiangxi province as the domain of ancient Yue nationality. Based on this, there are scholars declaring that in the Zhou dynasty, southwestern Hubei province and Northwestern Jiangxi province was the domain of Yang Yue. Combining the analysis of records about "Yang Yue" with archaeological findings, the chapter comes to a conclusion that indigenous culture of Shang and Zhou dynasty in the southwestern Hubei province and Northwestern Jiangxi province belongs to Bai Yue cultural system but as to which branch of Bai Yue cultural system, it is hard to know for lacking historical materials.The seventh chapter is the conclusion which summarizes the contents of whole dissertation and points out the shortages of the dissertation as well.